Donald Trump’s Twitter Account Has Been Permanently Suspended
Donald Trump’s Twitter account was permanently suspended on Friday. In a blog published by the platform, the company elaborated on its decision to ban the president.
“In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action,” the piece read.
The platform claimed that its “public interest framework” is designed to help the American public hear from politicians and leaders directly.
“It is built on a principle that the people have a right to hold power to account in the open.”
According to the company, Trump violated the platform’s rules via his incitements of violence in two tweets on January 8.
Reuters: TWITTER SAYS IT HAS PERMANENTLY SUSPENDED TRUMP'S ACCOUNT DUE TO THE RISK OF FURTHER INCITEMENT OF VIOLENCE
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 8, 2021
Trump twitter account suspended pic.twitter.com/LcmRN7kHsf
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 8, 2021
They just suspended Trump from Twitter. We're finally free.
— Gravel Institute (@GravelInstitute) January 8, 2021
The ban comes after hundreds of Twitter employees called for Trump to be suspended after the storming of the Capitol that took place on Wednesday following the president’s encouragement at a nearby rally. As reported by The Verge, the employees supported an internal petition that expressed their dismay at Trump’s involvement in the attack.
“We must examine Twitter’s complicity in what President-Elect Biden has rightly termed insurrection. Those acts jeopardize the wellbeing of the United States, our company, and our employees.”
Elsewhere, the letter reportedly called for an account of Twitter’s initial decision to temporarily suspend Trump and an investigation into the business’ role in Wednesday’s violence.
According to NBC News, Trump’s Twitter account was initially banned on January 6 for 12 hours due to “severe violations” of the business’ Civic Integrity policy. The verdict came after the head of state tweeted out condemnation of Vice President Mike Pence amid his supporters’ march on the Capitol. As The Inquisitr reported, messages on Gab allegedly revealed a push for protesters inside the building to hunt down Pence.
Twitter’s move comes just one day after Mark Zuckerberg decided to ban Trump from both Facebook and Instagram. According to Zuckerberg, Trump’s refusal to condemn the rioters who stormed the Capitol shows that he intends to use his remaining time in the White House to undermine a peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden.
The block applies to both Facebook and Instagram. Statement from Zuckerberg below: pic.twitter.com/pposns8VZN
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) January 7, 2021
Some have warned of the dangers of banning Trump from social media. After Trump was banned from Facebook and Instagram, model Emily Ratajkowski suggested that the same tactic could be weaponized against left-wing organizers.
“My concern is that this gives big tech the opportunity to shut down ‘leftist extremists’ who are important political organizers,” she tweeted on Thursday.
